I started collecting cards in the 5th grade back in 1959. Packs back then cost a whole nickel. Yep, 5 cents for five or six cards plus the great Topps gum!

I collected until I was 14 and stopped until 1972 when I started with that year's baseball set. Put it together series by series with the help of a hobby legend, Larry Fristch of Stevens Point, WI.

I was off to college and my little brother who is eight years younger than me needs something for his grade school white elephant sale, so my Mom gave almost all of the cards I had away to the school to use for prizes.

Lucky for me, she and my brother didn't know about one box I had in the top of my closet and I was able to keep my Mickey Mantles, Willie Mays, Koufax and some other players like that. I also had put back a 1962, 1963, 1964 Topps Football sets, plus 1960 Fleer Baseball Greats and 1964 Philadelphia football sets. The Topps sets are beat to death because I was just a kid who looked at my cards all the time. The 64 Philadelphia set is near mint.

Here are a few of the singles I was able to save:

I will post some more in the next box.
[IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q82/ronfir/Baseball%

And to let you how the hobby has gone up. I picked up this 1933 Lou Gehrig card in 72 for $25.

A lot of the cards I bought in the early 70s are gone as they helped put two daughters through college.
Here some football cards I saved:

Some more favorites including some nice inserts from the 90's

Since this started as a hockey break, here are a few of my favorite hockey cards. I didn't really start collecting hockey until about three or four years ago. But I was lucky enough to buy box of hockey card in Gretzky rookie year and have his rookie card:

Before the last three or four years, I just picked up what I liked and busted boxes here and there:

Wayne:

Mario Rookie

When these guys came into the league was went I really got interest in hockey cards and I basically gave up on new baseball and basketball

I like to collect hockey cards because the cards themselves seem to be better looking and personally I think you have a better shot of pulling something nice in hockey over the other three major sports.